Today's recipe is for a dish very famous in North Karnataka. The name "Yennegayi" comes from two Kannada words, "Kayi" or vegetables cooked in "Yenne" or oil. It goes best served as an accompaniment with akki rotis, jowar rotis etc. I am thankful to Girija Hosakote Ramiah for sharing her recipe.

Ingredients:

Small sized Purple Brinjals, 8

Tamarind Extract 1/4 cup

Large sized Onion, finely chopped, 1

Chilli Powder, 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp

Curry Leaves, a sprig

Jaggery, grated, 1 tsp

Salt, to taste

Oil, 2 tbsp

Water, about 2 small cups

For the masala filling:

Coriander Seeds, 2 tbsp

Byadgi Red Chillies, 8

Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tbsp

Groundnuts, 1/4 cup

White Sesame Seeds, 1 tbsp

Copra or Dry Grated Coconut, 1/2 cup

Small sized Onion, roughly chopped, 1

Garlic, de-skinned, 3-4 cloves

Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp

Salt, to taste

Method:

Wash and pat dry the brinjals, make two length-wise slits in the brinjals retaining the stalk

Prepare the tamarind extract by soaking half of a lemon sized ball of tamarind in warm water
Heat a heavy-bottomed pan. Dry roast the coriander seeds, red chillies, cumin seeds, groundnuts, and white sesame seeds separately one by one and keep aside
Also dry roast the copra for about 10 seconds and keep aside
In the same pan, add 1 tsp of oil and saute the roughly chopped onion and garlic till the raw smell goes

Grind them along with the dry roasted ingredients using very little water

Mix salt and turmeric to the ground filling

Stuff about half of this masala filling inside the slits of each of the brinjals so that they are nicely covered

Keep aside the remaining masala filling to be used for the gravy

Heat remaining oil in the pan

Add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds

Add finely chopped onions and saute for about two minutes until they turn light brown

Now add the stuffed brinjals one by one in the pan

Gently turn them around until they are fully coated with the onion oil mix

Lower the flame and cook covered for about 5-6 minutes till the brinjals change colour and soften but make sure they are not overcooked